Scoring pace heats up to start June at 2024 USBC Women’s Championships
June 03, 2024
RENO, Nev. – The month of June already has featured plenty of strikes and excitement at the National Bowling Stadium for the 2024 United States Bowling Congress Women’s Championships, with two lead changes and a tie for a leading spot taking place through the first two days.
The lead changes took place in Ruby Singles and Emerald Team, while the top spot in Sapphire All-Events now is shared at the National Bowling Stadium.
Susan Musgrave of Edmond, Oklahoma, swept away the competition in Ruby Singles on Sunday, having games of 248, 253 and 190 to help her achieve the end goal of taking the lead with a 691 series.
Heidi Locklear of Lakeville, Minnesota, previously held the lead with 685 in Ruby Singles.
The journey of taking the lead wasn’t the easiest task to accomplish for the Oklahoma bowler. Starting out her 2024 appearance, Musgrave had a slower pace in team with a 495 series and doubles with 481.
It wasn’t until singles when Musgrave was able to kick her game into overdrive, hitting impressive scores and setting up five straight strikes to start Game 2.
“I just wasn’t able to find my right spot,” Musgrave said. “I would hit the same spot thinking it would come up, and it didn’t. I was also struggling trying to find which ball to use.”
Finally, finding that rhythm and the right ball, Musgrave was able to reach the top of the leaderboard in her division. It exceeded her expectations of bowling so well, coming from a slow start.
“Once I found that ball, it helped,” Musgrave said. “I tried to get to that 700.”
The exciting news of possibly taking the title at the USBC Women’s Championships gave hope to Musgrave. Making such a strong comeback to take the lead would pay off for her if she held on to win.
“Overall, I am just excited and glad that I bowled well,” Musgrave said. “We still have a long way to go. This was just a moment I was not expecting because I didn’t do well before singles.”
When asked about future goals, Musgrave was set on achieving another 700 series. Previously, she had a 713 bowling in Dallas.
“I would like to get another 700,” Musgrave said. “Today, if I had another two more, I would’ve had a solid 700.”
Ruby Singles features bowlers with entering averages of 156-175.
Sometimes, facing adversity can lead a team to do great things.
That’s what happened for the members of Strike Force Team 9 of Anaheim, California, on Saturday evening on the way to a high score of 2,164 to take the team lead in the Emerald Division.
Strike Force Team 9 had games of 677, 688 and a big 799 to close the set at the National Bowling Stadium to take the lead by 83 pins. The members of Elbow Benders of Elizabeth, Colorado, and Untouchables of Grantville, Georgia, were tied for the lead in Emerald Team with 2,081.
The day didn’t start out as planned for the group, however, as Madelaine Remigio’s bowling ball got stuck in the ball return early in Game 1, causing the team to be moved to a different pair for their team competition.
After having an early setback, they looked stellar and dominated in Game 3. As a team, they had to adjust and overcome.
“It’s exciting and rewarding because we started with our ball being stuck in the return,” Angela Morgan said. “So, we had to switch lanes and did well in Games 2 and 3."
Remigio was the heart and soul of this squad, bowling a great series of 608. In her first game, she rolled a 162. She did well in her second game with a score of 205 and finished strong with a solid Game 3 score of 241.
Marilou Davis helped her team by bowling a total of 555. She also got better as each game went on. She started with 169 and followed that up in Game 2 with 171. She saved her best for last when she fired a score of 215 in Game 3.
Miriam Galluzzo bowled a series of 513, leading the team in Game 1 with 190 and following with 156 and 167.
Morgan had a total of 488, with matching 156 games to start. In Game 3, she had her high score at 176.
The team was cool, calm and collected, especially when it came to adjusting to the lane change.
“We just do what we normally do, and for us to take the lead, after all the events that transpired today, was actually a blessing in disguise,” Morgan said. “Yeah, the pin gods loved us today, especially after losing our ball in the pit, they helped us succeed in Games 2 and 3.”
Emerald Team consists of four-player groups with combined entering averages of 541-620.
Erin Murphy had momentum during her entire nine-game series during her time at the 2024 Women’s Championships.
Murphy, out of Marengo, Illinois, tied Milwaukee’s Jennifer Kosoris in the Sapphire All-Events category with a total score of 1,570.
Her score during the team event at the National Bowling Stadium was 487. She followed that up in doubles with a score of 506.
Finally, she saved her best three-game series for last by firing a solid score of 577, which included games of 138, 248 and 191 to also take over second place in Sapphire Singles. Kosoris leads singles with 604.
Murphy was a bit surprised when she found out she had tied for the lead in Sapphire All-Events.
“It’s very shocking," Murphy said. “I never, ever would have anticipated at all that I would have taken the overall lead.”
Murphy was also a beginner when it came to the Women’s Championships, making her tournament debut this year in Reno.
That also played a part in why it was mind-boggling to her that she tied for the lead.
“I mean, this is my first time going to the national event, and it’s been an amazing experience so far,” Murphy said.
Murphy has only been bowling for about eight years, and she first got involved in bowling by encouragement from her parents.
“My parents bowled a lot when I was younger,” Murphy said. “Although, we didn’t have a bowling alley that was super close, so I didn’t bowl a lot as a kid. It wasn’t until after I graduated college that I started to join bowling leagues and gradually get back into the wonderful sport.”
Overall, Murphy has enjoyed her time so far in Reno.
“It’s amazing to bowl with people who you don’t regularly bowl with,” Murphy said. “It’s also great to bowl with people that you know, and we’ve got people from all over the country, and it’s just so much fun.”
The Sapphire Division features bowlers with entering averages of 135 and below.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Women’s Championships page.
The lead changes took place in Ruby Singles and Emerald Team, while the top spot in Sapphire All-Events now is shared at the National Bowling Stadium.
Susan Musgrave of Edmond, Oklahoma, swept away the competition in Ruby Singles on Sunday, having games of 248, 253 and 190 to help her achieve the end goal of taking the lead with a 691 series.
Heidi Locklear of Lakeville, Minnesota, previously held the lead with 685 in Ruby Singles.
The journey of taking the lead wasn’t the easiest task to accomplish for the Oklahoma bowler. Starting out her 2024 appearance, Musgrave had a slower pace in team with a 495 series and doubles with 481.
It wasn’t until singles when Musgrave was able to kick her game into overdrive, hitting impressive scores and setting up five straight strikes to start Game 2.
“I just wasn’t able to find my right spot,” Musgrave said. “I would hit the same spot thinking it would come up, and it didn’t. I was also struggling trying to find which ball to use.”
Finally, finding that rhythm and the right ball, Musgrave was able to reach the top of the leaderboard in her division. It exceeded her expectations of bowling so well, coming from a slow start.
“Once I found that ball, it helped,” Musgrave said. “I tried to get to that 700.”
The exciting news of possibly taking the title at the USBC Women’s Championships gave hope to Musgrave. Making such a strong comeback to take the lead would pay off for her if she held on to win.
“Overall, I am just excited and glad that I bowled well,” Musgrave said. “We still have a long way to go. This was just a moment I was not expecting because I didn’t do well before singles.”
When asked about future goals, Musgrave was set on achieving another 700 series. Previously, she had a 713 bowling in Dallas.
“I would like to get another 700,” Musgrave said. “Today, if I had another two more, I would’ve had a solid 700.”
Ruby Singles features bowlers with entering averages of 156-175.
Sometimes, facing adversity can lead a team to do great things.
That’s what happened for the members of Strike Force Team 9 of Anaheim, California, on Saturday evening on the way to a high score of 2,164 to take the team lead in the Emerald Division.
Strike Force Team 9 had games of 677, 688 and a big 799 to close the set at the National Bowling Stadium to take the lead by 83 pins. The members of Elbow Benders of Elizabeth, Colorado, and Untouchables of Grantville, Georgia, were tied for the lead in Emerald Team with 2,081.
The day didn’t start out as planned for the group, however, as Madelaine Remigio’s bowling ball got stuck in the ball return early in Game 1, causing the team to be moved to a different pair for their team competition.
After having an early setback, they looked stellar and dominated in Game 3. As a team, they had to adjust and overcome.
“It’s exciting and rewarding because we started with our ball being stuck in the return,” Angela Morgan said. “So, we had to switch lanes and did well in Games 2 and 3."
Remigio was the heart and soul of this squad, bowling a great series of 608. In her first game, she rolled a 162. She did well in her second game with a score of 205 and finished strong with a solid Game 3 score of 241.
Marilou Davis helped her team by bowling a total of 555. She also got better as each game went on. She started with 169 and followed that up in Game 2 with 171. She saved her best for last when she fired a score of 215 in Game 3.
Miriam Galluzzo bowled a series of 513, leading the team in Game 1 with 190 and following with 156 and 167.
Morgan had a total of 488, with matching 156 games to start. In Game 3, she had her high score at 176.
The team was cool, calm and collected, especially when it came to adjusting to the lane change.
“We just do what we normally do, and for us to take the lead, after all the events that transpired today, was actually a blessing in disguise,” Morgan said. “Yeah, the pin gods loved us today, especially after losing our ball in the pit, they helped us succeed in Games 2 and 3.”
Emerald Team consists of four-player groups with combined entering averages of 541-620.
Erin Murphy had momentum during her entire nine-game series during her time at the 2024 Women’s Championships.
Murphy, out of Marengo, Illinois, tied Milwaukee’s Jennifer Kosoris in the Sapphire All-Events category with a total score of 1,570.
Her score during the team event at the National Bowling Stadium was 487. She followed that up in doubles with a score of 506.
Finally, she saved her best three-game series for last by firing a solid score of 577, which included games of 138, 248 and 191 to also take over second place in Sapphire Singles. Kosoris leads singles with 604.
Murphy was a bit surprised when she found out she had tied for the lead in Sapphire All-Events.
“It’s very shocking," Murphy said. “I never, ever would have anticipated at all that I would have taken the overall lead.”
Murphy was also a beginner when it came to the Women’s Championships, making her tournament debut this year in Reno.
That also played a part in why it was mind-boggling to her that she tied for the lead.
“I mean, this is my first time going to the national event, and it’s been an amazing experience so far,” Murphy said.
Murphy has only been bowling for about eight years, and she first got involved in bowling by encouragement from her parents.
“My parents bowled a lot when I was younger,” Murphy said. “Although, we didn’t have a bowling alley that was super close, so I didn’t bowl a lot as a kid. It wasn’t until after I graduated college that I started to join bowling leagues and gradually get back into the wonderful sport.”
Overall, Murphy has enjoyed her time so far in Reno.
“It’s amazing to bowl with people who you don’t regularly bowl with,” Murphy said. “It’s also great to bowl with people that you know, and we’ve got people from all over the country, and it’s just so much fun.”
The Sapphire Division features bowlers with entering averages of 135 and below.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Women’s Championships page.